Welcome to Big Screen Country
About The Festival
Since 2015 the Montana Film Festival (MTFF) has showcased independent narrative films from around the world, engaging our community with remarkable shared experiences, expanding the possibilities of contemporary cinema, and welcoming our guests to Big Screen Country.
MTFF highlights emergent independent talents, with special attention paid to narrative fiction cinema, animation, and Montana’s flourishing film industry. It regularly screens titles months before wide release, making it the premiere annual event for Montana’s cinephiles.
The Roxy Theater, Missoula’s historic community cinema, is the venue for MTFF. Every October, MTFF welcomes writers, directors, actors, and industry professionals to experience Montana hospitality over the four-day festival. Parties and special events allow creators to meet their audiences, while providing valuable space for networking. Several finished films have had their genesis in conversations and live script reads at the festival. MTFF provides attending filmmakers development opportunities through our sponsor, the Montana Department of Commerce Film Office.
MTFF has welcomed a number of special guests to Missoula over the years: Lily Gladstone, Charles Burnett, Bill Pullman, Sophia Takal, Anna Camp, Toby Poser, Vera Drew, J.D. Shields, Frances Chewning, Mya Taylor, Harris Dickinson, Sarah Adina Smith, Emily Hubley, Wendy McColm, Kenneth Turan, Neal Block, Andrew and Alex Smith, Annick Smith, Vera Brunner-Sung, Krisha Fairchild, and more.
Past titles which had their Montana premieres at MTFF include: Shiva Baby, Cowboys, Thunder Road, Tangerine, Mandy, Certain Women, Wildlife, Montana Story, The Unknown Country, Bitterbrush, Quantum Cowboys, The Power of the Dog, The People’s Joker, Fancy Dance, Bitterroot, Rap World, and Eephus.
The MT Department of Commerce Film Office is a perennial sponsor of MTFF, and is devoted to growing and supporting the film industry in this state. During the festival, MTFF offers:
- A Montana-made programming strand that brings superb films shot in-state to our audiences.
- Professional development workshops and certifications for various crew roles.
- Multiple parties and other occasions for passholders, presenters, filmmakers, festival supporters, and guests to network and explore future collaborations.
Our Mission Statement
- To present a slate of brilliant, uncompromised cinema during the 4-day festival and year-round through the MTFF Presents series.
- To expand and inspire the film community throughout Montana by showcasing work from and about the American West.
- To provide opportunities for those who work in the Montana film industry–or those who want to–to make contact with and learn from each other.
What our visiting filmmakers have to say
Sister Festivals
MTFF is just one offering from the Roxy Theater’s robust film festival program. Check out MTFF’s sister festivals.
International Wildlife Film Festival
Queer West Film Fest
The Roxy Theater
The Roxy Theater is Missoula’s Community Cinema. A non-profit arthouse venue, the Roxy hosts regular weekly screenings of award-winning new and classic films from around the world, simulcast live theater, special one-off screenings, community programs, and oddball events.
A unique historic venue with incredible resources, The Roxy houses three cinema screens with HD projection, 35 mm projection, state-of-the-art sound systems, two stages, a micro-cinema ‘The Annex’ with a cozy attached lounge, and the Roxy Movie Garden – an outdoor space for films and live performance. Montana Film Festival embraces its home inside The Roxy Theater and as the heart of community cinema in Missoula, MT.
Learn More
More ways to engage with MTFF
The Roxy Theater, home to MTFF, shows movies and hosts events year-round.
